4 weeks in India and a few kilos Gained!! Though mom's food was the main reason I tested the limits of my body's immune power, tasting various cuisines across different states. Here is a list of my top 5 things I enjoyed outside "different mothers' cookings".
5th Position : Ven pongal with moong dhal sambar
Place : Shri Yogi ram surath kumar ashram, thiruvennamalai
Specialty : Dripping ghee and a unique sambar made from moong dhal
Prasadams(Offerings to religious deities) in temples are simply delicious. Add to that an ashram with good funding who can afford good quality ghee and a wonderful cook, you get your gluttonous appetite quenched. A word for fitness freaks- keep yourself away from this heavy south indian breakfast.
4th position: Masala Dosa with special karnataka smabar, ghee roast
Place: Some hotel in bangalore in Koramangala that ends with Sagar (Rad side hotel with stools around with people stand and eat), Adayar anandha bhavan in chennai.
Long ago, long long ago, very long ago I fell in love with dosa!! I genuinely think that one gets the best dosa in Tamil nadu. But sadly i have to admit that dosa in bangalore is very unique. Additionally the sambar there gets an awesome flavor because of the Bedige chilli used in the preparation of the powder. I absolutely loved the masala dosa in bangalore. Thankfully to save tamil nadu's respect, adayar anandha bhavan served me with a wonderful ghee roast. So 4th place is a tie between these two dosas. Sadly my trusted ghee masala dosa in saravana bhavan was a disappointment this time.
3rd position: Pani puri
Place : Amchi mumbai, anywhere on the roadside
I cannot say anything about this!! You just have to feel and just enjoy and not think even a bit about the water that the vendor uses. Most of the times this would come first!! But this time I was plain lucky.
2nd Position: Masala Puri
Place: Neyveli book fair, neyveli
No this is not a Chaat from mumbai. Neither it is the famous south indian breakfast Puri masala. Its a brilliant concoction of a Mumbai chaat like name and a typical south indian taste that liberally uses all the ingredients of a famous mumbai chaat and south indian masalas. Its a brain child of a local vendor in neyveli (I think) and can be tasted only once a year in the Famous neyveli book fair!!
Ist place: Molaga bhaji (Chilli bhaji)
Place : Beseant Nagar beach, chennai
Easily a dish that could give the terrifying kolapuri veg roll a run for its money!! Eaten along with an equally terrifying tomato chatni, its the best dish I tasted in the last 4 weeks. A thing of beauty that is not to be missed by the spicy food lovers. A word of caution - only two of us were able to complete one full bhaji amongst a group of 5 people. And we had to drink about 3 bottles cold water after sharing a plate (6 bhajis).
Its a hastily written post!! But I am sure most of you would have enjoyed the above mentioned items though I am heavily biased against south indian cusine!! Things that almost made it to the list are Maduri idlis, Rajdhani thali in express avenue in chennai and the wonderful mexican sandwich in the notoriously famous leopold cafe near the Gate way of india in Mumbai.
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